1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connector device used to connect wires and the like.
2. Related Art
Vehicles and the like use a connector device (connector) having a first connector housing and a second connector housing that fit into each other by sandwiching a mounting member such as a pillar or a panel, constituting a portion of a body therebetween.
For example, a connector device in which the first connector housing is temporarily locked into a mounting hole of a panel and the second connector housing is fitted into the first connector housing is known (refer to JP 2009-16198 A).
The connector disclosed by JP 2009-16198 A is configured as shown in FIGS. 8 to 12.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a connector 101 including a first connector housing 104 and a second connector housing 103 and FIGS. 9 to 12 are sectional views showing processes in which the second connector housing 103 is successively fitted into the first connector housing 104 that is temporarily locked.
The connector 101 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 constitutes a wire harness cabled to vehicles and the like. The connector 101 includes, as shown in FIG. 8, the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 that fit into each other while a body panel (hereinafter, called a panel) 102 constituting a body being sandwiched therebetween.
The panel 102 is provided with, as shown in FIG. 8, a mounting hole 107 passing through the panel 102. The first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 are fitted into each other by being inserted through the mounting hole 107 of the panel 102 while the panel 102 is positioned therebetween before being fixed to the panel 102.
The first connector housing 104 is molded from synthetic resin and includes a body portion 141, a pair of temporary locking portions 112, and a lock arm 109.
The lock arm 109 includes an arm portion 191 in a plate shape installed upright from an upper wall 144 and extended along a fitting direction toward the side on which the second connector housing 103 is mounted, a pair of lock portions 192 projecting in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction from a tip portion 191a of the arm portion 191 along the surface direction of the upper wall 144, and a projecting portion 193 projecting to an outer side of the body portion 141 from the tip portion 191a of the arm portion 191 along the height direction.
The lock arm 109 is fitted into the second connector housing 103 while the first connector housing 104 is temporarily locked into the panel 102. In the fitting process, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lock portion 192 is flexurally-deformed upward by being run up onto a rib 108 as an engaging portion on the second connector housing 103 side after being brought into sliding contact therewith. Then, the lock arm 109 prevents the first connector housing 104 whose temporary lock into the panel 102 by the temporary locking portion 112 is released from dropping off from the panel 102 by being brought into contact with and pressed against the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 107 of the panel 102 by the flexural deformation.
On the other hand, the second connector housing 103 is also molded from synthetic resin and includes a body portion 132, a flange portion 131, a pair of actual locking portions 111 (see FIG. 8), a pair of the ribs 108 engaged with the lock arm 109, and a fitting portion 110 of the lock portion 192.
Then, as shown in FIG. 11, in the final process of fitting of the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103, the lock portion 192 of the lock arm 109 on the first connector housing 104 side is fitted into the fitting portion 110 on the second connector housing 103 side so that the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 are coupled.
Further, by pressing the coupled body of the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 in the A direction shown in FIG. 11, as shown in FIG. 12, the flange portion 131 on the first connector housing 104 side is moved to the position opposite to the panel 102 in the neighborhood thereof. In this state, the actual locking portion 111 on the second connector housing 103 side and the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 107 of the panel 102 are engaged and the connector 101 is fixed to the panel 102. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 12, a grommet 210 is mounted on the flange portion 131.
In a state of the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 being fitted as shown in FIG. 10, the arm portion 191 of the lock arm 109 is flexurally-deformed upward by being run up onto the rib 108 on the second connector housing 103 side after being brought into sliding contact therewith and is in contact with and pressed against the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 107 of the panel 102.
However, if a pressing force F1 in the fitting direction as shown in FIG. 13 is applied to deepen the fitting of the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 from the above state, a turning force F2 around a contact point of the top surface of the arm portion 191 and the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 107 as a supporting point P1 arises in the coupled body of the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103.
An inclination θ with respect to the panel 102 arises in a portion (for example, a projecting portion 150) that should be in parallel with the panel 102.
Under the influence of the inclination θ, the vector in the fitting direction by the pressing force F1 is dispersed and the force in the direction in which the first connector housing 104 and the second connector housing 103 are fitted is weakened, causing a problem that facilitation and efficiency of fitting work are inhibited.
The present invention is made in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to provide a connector device capable of improving facilitation and efficiency of fitting work.